A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I've had several people ask about Harry's age. Sorry, should have thought of putting that in, but it never quite fit. I put it in in this chapter, but it actually would have come up more thoroughly in the next chapter. At any rate, Harry is seven years old. He will spend the next four years before Hogwarts living with Severus. This is definitely a father/son type fic. Someone wondered about Harry's aging process, they will find out how this will work, and I do have something in mind! Just keep reading to find out! (But it's not in this chapter.) ^_^

Chapter Two: Harry Wakes up

Over the next four days, Poppy called Severus in roughly twice a day to feed the young Harry Potter. More often than not, Severus would give Harry his own blood to drink; other times he would bring in animal blood. Then, in the morning of the fifth day, Harry began to stir. Poppy immediately called for Severus and Albus to join her.

Severus stood by Harry's bed as Albus and Poppy waited at the foot. Severus knew that as he was the one who had turned Harry, Harry was now his responsibility to care for. He wasn't exactly happy about it, but the laws set by the Council were clear. And even here, Harry was a special case: at seven years old, he was the youngest human to ever be turned. No one knew what his aging process would be like now, if he would even be ready to start Hogwarts when he turned eleven. Severus knew that he would try his best to make sure that Harry could join his peers, though. So he waited by Harry's side for the young vampire to wake up.

Once Harry truly started to wake up, he came to quickly. He started to sit up, but was forced down by a gently press of a hand against his chest. "No, stay down," said the voice that he thought the hands belonged to.

Harry looked up, he frowned curiously and asked, "Who are you?"

Severus smiled a little at the boy to try and reassure him, "My name is Severus Snape; I am your new guardian."

"Oh," Harry took this in. Then he began to look around, he could tell that he was in a Hospital Wing of some sort, but it certainly didn't look like any Hospital he had ever imagined. "Where am I? Who are you?" he directed the last question at Poppy and Albus.

Albus nodded for Severus to answer, so he did. "He is Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of the school you're in; she is Poppy Pomfrey, the... nurse... here at the school," Severus stopped. He knew that since Harry had been raised by muggles, he probably didn't know who he was. Severus decided that perhaps it was best if Albus told the boy where he was.

"Okay," the young vampire answered, "but where am I?"

Again, Albus looked to Severus to explain it to Harry. Severus sighed and started to speak, "You are in the Infirmary of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Harry gaped for a small moment and then he said, "But there's no such thing as magic."

Severus glared at Albus and said, "Yes, Harry, there is."

"Prove it."

Another sigh and Severus took out his wand. "This is my wand, it allows me to use magic. What would you like me to show you?"

Harry thought for a brief moment, "Can you fix my eyesight?"

Severus looked at Poppy, "Shouldn't the transformation have taken care of that?" he asked her.

She shrugged, "It should have. But, as you've been so fond of reminding me, his age and the state he was in make his transformation a special case. Perhaps because he is so young the transformation hasn't had its full effects, yet."

"Hmm..." said Severus, frowning. Then he looked back at Harry, "We'd best wait for that. We don't know what could happen if I try to do that."

Harry frowned at the news, but he nodded and said, "Well then, can you fix my glasses? Dudley always broke them, you see..." his voice trailed off as he saw the angry looks being exchanged amongst the adults around him. He shrank back into the covers.

Severus noticed and he tried to reassure the boy, "No, Harry, we're not angry with you. It's your relatives we're angry with." Harry nodded and Severus smiled a little at him again. It was rather crooked, as if he'd forgotten how to, but Harry was reassured anyway. Severus said then, "All right, I'll fix your glasses." He pointed his wand straight at the bridge of his glasses and said, "Oculus Reparo."

Instantly, Harry's glasses fixed themselves. In fact, with the added power that Severus had added to the spell, the prescription even changed to match Harry's eyesight. Harry grinned, "Wow! Thanks!"

This time there were smiles from all of the adults. "Well, Harry, now do you believe that there is such a thing as magic?" asked Albus.

Harry nodded vigorously, "Yes, sir! How couldn't I after that?"

Albus smiled at the boy and said, "How not, indeed."

Harry looked thoughtful then for a few moments. The three adults waited, when he spoke, he asked, "What transformation?"

Severus looked slightly nervous as he did his best to explain what had happened. "Harry, when Arabella found you--"

"Arabella?"

"Figg, your babysitter," explained Severus, when Harry nodded he went on, "As I was saying, when Arabella found you and called Poppy and Albus to her- -"

Again, Harry interrupted, "Mrs Figg is a witch, too?"

Severus nodded and said, "Harry, please save your questions until I am through. It'll be easier that way." Harry nodded silently and bit his lip. Severus sighed and went on, "At any rate, when Poppy got to you, there was nothing she could do. You would die, your body was too seriously injured and malnourished to survive much longer. She simply couldn't heal you, you didn't have the strength. So, Albus called me over and asked me to... turn... you."

This time Harry couldn't hold back the question. "Turn me?" he echoed softly.

"Yes, Harry. You're a vampire now," Severus replied in a surprisingly gentle tone.

Harry looked up at his guardian, he had an odd look on his face as he considered this bit of information. "So I have to drink blood now?"

Severus nodded. "Is that all I can have to eat or drink?" came the next hesitant question.

Severus shook his head no and explained, "It is your main source of nourishment. For one as young as you are, I even doubt if it will be enough. Some vampires choose to only exist off of blood; others see eating regular foods as part of living. When you are undead, you try to live in any way you can. You can't have anything that you want to eat, but you can eat most foods. Don't worry about that, Poppy and I will take care of your meals."

Harry's eyes grew wide at that. "Really?" he asked, "I don't have to cook for myself?"

"No, of course not, Harry. The House Elves here at Hogwarts take care of that, and at my home, too," replied Severus.

Harry took that news joyfully, and again angry looks were exchanged amongst the adults, though this time they took care to ensure that Harry didn't see. Severus then turned to Poppy and said, "Can I take him now?"

Poppy nodded and said, "Let me do one last check and then you may leave with him,."

Harry's eyes widened again at that. "Where am I going?" he asked.

Severus answered him, "Remember, Harry? I'm your guardian now, I'll be taking care of you. For now we'll go down to my quarters. Soon I'll be taking you to me home."

Harry nodded and smiled shyly. Then Poppy looked him over. Straightening up, she said, "All clear! He's in fine health considering what he's been through. His healing capabilities are truly showing through. Take care for about a week, right? Severus, give him as much of your blood, or a human's as possible for that week. He needs it. After that, you can get him onto whatever you think best."

Severus nodded to the medi-witch as he helped Harry out of bed. It was his first time standing up since Arabella had retrieved him from the Dursleys, so he was a little dizzy. After a few minutes, the dizziness passed though, and he let go of Severus' hand and took a few steps. It was slow going at first, but he quickly picked up speed. By the time Harry and Severus left the Hospital Wing, Harry was walking at a normal pace.

Severus led Harry down into the dungeons where his quarters were. Severus spoke briefly to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. "Salazar, this is Harry Potter. He will be staying with me from now on." Then he turned to Harry and said, "Harry, this is Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. You need the password to enter our rooms, and I change it weekly. I will always let you know what the new one is, though, so don't worry about ever being stuck outside. Since it is summer, I don't change my password very often, but during the school year I change it weekly. For now, the password is Aconite."

Harry nodded and repeated the password, "Aconite."

Severus smiled and nodded, then he repeated the password to Salazar who responded by letting Severus into his quarters. Once inside, Severus gestured briefly to the various doors. "That one leads to my bedroom; that one to my private laboratory and store room, and this one," he walked over to it and opened it, "leads to your room." He gestured for Harry to come over to him and walked into the bedroom.

"Albus and I prepared it for you while you were in your coma. I hope it's all right," Severus said when there was no reaction from Harry.

Harry, for his part, was looking all around the room. He'd never seen a bed so comfortable looking before! The floor was a dark wood with a circular Slytherin green carpet. The bed was a four-poster with a canopy of a metallic silver color. The bedspread was a dark blue with a black pillow. There was a desk made of the same wood as the bed, it had all sorts of school supplies on it--but unfamiliar ones, quills, parchment, ink wells. There was also a book case that was mostly empty, but it had several books that Severus had selected for Harry to read, some on quidditch, and beginning spell books that first years would use, of course there were the requisite potions books, and some books that had been written recently to introduce muggle-borns to the wizarding world. There was also an enchanted window that showed the Hogwarts grounds that were above the dungeons where Harry's room was.

Harry was truly in awe, he had never seen a room so nice before. He couldn't believe that it was all for him. "Harry?" he heard Severus trying to bring him back to reality. "Harry?" Severus called again.

Harry looked up at him. "Yes?" he asked quietly.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked in a concerned tone.

Harry nodded dumbly. "Yes... Is this all for me?" he questioned hesitantly.

Severus smiled gently. "Yes, it is, Harry. This is your room, everything in it belongs to you." Severus walked over to the nightstand next to the bed and picked up the picture that Albus had placed on it. He waved Harry over and said, "Look at this."

Harry walked over and hesitantly took the picture from Severus' hands. "What's this?" he asked.

Severus' brow furrowed with confusion. "Your parents," he said as if it were obvious.

Harry's eyes widened and tears sprang up. As a tear trailed down his face, Severus asked him, "What's wrong, Harry?"

"No one's ever shown me a picture of my parents before..." he said quietly.

Severus frowned at that bit of news. He knew that Harry didn't know much of the wizarding world, but to never have even seen his parents? His heart went out to the small boy in front of him and he pulled Harry into a hug.

That small gesture of kindness proved to be Harry's undoing. He began to sob, suddenly faced with grieving the parents he had never been given a chance to know. Severus gathered the seven-year old into his arms and sat down on the bed to hold Harry as he cried. His heart broke for the small life in front of him. The boy had already faced so much hardship, and now he would be faced with even more. To be a vampire was difficult enough, to be the boy-who-lived and a vampire... Well, Severus knew that the coming years would be very difficult indeed.